April 2025

Adding the impact investing dimension to Luxembourg’s sustainable finance

“We were set up with the mission of helping the financial sector transition towards sustainability,” says Nicoletta Centofanti, CEO of the Luxembourg Sustainable Finance Initiative (LSFI) who opens our conversation explaining the origins of the organisation, which with the support of its Impact Investing Advisory Board (IIAB), became a national partner of GSG Impact in December last year. “We are a centre of excellence and knowledge hub on sustainable finance and aim to unlock the sector’s potential, channel more capital...

UK government urged to amend pension rules to support sustainable growth

Lack of clarity over fiduciary duty and a heavy sustainability reporting burden are key issues for the pensions industry, says UKSIF At a glance The UK government is planning an overhaul of the investment rules regulating the pensions sector in attempt to spur growth and stimulate investment in UK assets Simplifying sustainability rules should be part of the reform agenda, with a greater focus on transition planning rather than lengthy disclosures, says UKSIF The fiduciary duty of pension trustees with regards to climate...

London Pensions Fund Commits £250 Million to Ambitious New Green Investment Drive

In a strategic move that underscores its accelerating push toward net zero, the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has pledged 3% of its £8 billion portfolio—approximately £250 million—toward investments in environmental solutions. This allocation will seed a newly launched private markets fund to support global decarbonisation efforts through climate-aligned assets. But this isn’t just a one-off gesture. It’s part of a much broader financial and philosophical commitment. The LPFA doesn't manage its assets in isolation. Its investments are pooled with those...

ESG KPI report 2025. Managing what you measure

By Invest Europe Tackling climate change and standing strong on responsible investment themes, such as diversity and zero tolerance to corruption, are among the greatest challenges – and responsibilities – facing the European private equity industry today. These considerations are not only at the forefront of policymakers’ and investors’ minds, but also ever more central to consumers when they decide how to spend their money. We are firm believers in the saying that you cannot manage what you don’t measure. With...

ESG investing: a global investor survey

By AXA Investment Managers We are committed to responsible investing and supporting the transition to sustainable economies. As long-term custodians of wealth, we strive to identify and back environmental, social and governance (ESG) leaders that can protect and grow client portfolios. In doing so, we believe that understanding customer perspectives is paramount, which is why we carried out this extensive study on individual views toward ESG investing across various markets, regions, and demographics.   Get the report here

March 2025

US. Pension Funds Push Forward on Climate Goals Despite Backlash

In the past few months, some of the largest banks and asset managers in the United States have quit net zero networks, the climate groups that encourage their members to set ambitious carbon reduction targets and collaborate internationally on sustainability efforts. But the week after Donald J. Trump won re-election in November, NYCERS, a pension fund for New York City employees, went in the opposite direction. It joined a United Nations-affiliated climate action group for long-term investors, the Net Zero Asset...

UK. Two-thirds of employers embrace responsible pensions; less than half have it as their default

More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of employers in the UK now offer a responsibly invested company pension, but less than half (44 per cent) have it as their default option, research from Scottish Widows has revealed. The firm said this put the onus on employees to take action if they want to switch. However, its Responsibly Invested Pensions report showed that nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of employees had “no idea” how to change their default, highlighting a growing need for employers...

How to grow employee pension savings while shaping a more sustainable future

Climate change, social inequality and the transition to a low-carbon economy are among the most pressing challenges of our time. These issues are not abstract concerns for future generations — they are reshaping the world we live in today. And for employees, one of the levers they have to make a positive impact, while also building a more secure financial future, is their pension. Recent Scottish Widows’ research reveals that 72 per cent of employees now expect their employers to offer a...

February 2025

German economist suggests tapping into VAT to stabilise first pillar’s contribution rate

German economist and pensions expert Bert Rürup has proposed channelling one percentage point from VAT to the first-pillar pension system, a form of public subsidy to stabilise the contribution rate of the pay-as-you-go pension system, in an article published by Handelsblatt newspaper. One percentage point from VAT would mean channelling €16bn per year to the first-pillar pension system, he added. Rürup’s idea is akin to a model chosen in Switzerland under the reform of the first-pillar AVH21, with the increase of...

France. Pensions: a deficit of 30 billion euros in 2045 without new reform

The Court of Auditors unveiled this Thursday an alarming report on the future of the pension system in France, commissioned by François Bayrou to serve as a basis for negotiations between social partners. According to its projections, the deficit would reach 15 billion euros in 2035 and 30 billion in 2045 if no additional reforms are implemented. In 2023, a surplus of 8,5 billion euros was recorded, but this is explained by cyclical effects linked to inflation and the...